'We can't wait to show what we've got' - USWNT stars highlight new-look Man Utd side

Millie Turner has warned Manchester United’s rivals they are excited to unleash their new-look team on the Women’s Super League after new signings have helped take them up another level.

United face Brighton at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday afternoon, in their first fixture for three weeks, and it’s been a busy break for Casey Stoney’s side having added even more firepower to their squad with the highly anticipated arrival of U.S. women's national team stars Christen Press and Tobin Heath along with England forward Alessia Russo.

Having been forced to isolate due to Covid-19 restrictions and with a number of the squad on international duty, Heath and Press have only been training with their new teammates for a week but there’s already excitement over what they can bring.

“They [Press and Heath] are very very good players it’s something different that this league’s not really had before and this team haven’t had before,” United defender Turner said. “For us to be able to learn off them is unbelievable.

"I think we’re really developing from having these two here. For them to come into the group is great. All of our signings have been unbelievable, they’ve settled in so well. We have a very good team mentality here at United, [and we] can’t wait to show what we’ve got at the weekend.”

But, fans might have to wait a little longer to see the pair in the starting XI with Stoney saying they’re going to take longer to acclimate after not playing a competitive game since March.

“They’re going to take a little bit longer to get up to speed because they’ve not played for such a long time. You can train on your own but you can’t replicate the game or playing so we have to be patient and build them up right and build them up slowly so they can impact when required,” Stoney said.

Pushed on whether or not they would be starting on Sunday, Stoney replied: “I can’t let my cards away, but I’ll always do the right thing by the player.”

United are going to be without a number of players after a few picked up knocks. Captain Katie Zelem also isn’t available as she has only just returned to full training after testing positive for Covid-19.

“It’s very much a staged approach to returning. People think you get a positive test, you quarantine for two weeks and you’re back out. It’s not [like that], it probably puts you out for a month,” Stoney said about Zelem.

Whatever team Stoney fields she is hoping for a change in mentality from their last fixture against Birmingham three weeks ago. United had to come from a goal behind to win 5-2 and Stoney wants an improvement on that performance.

“I’ve got to be honest I don’t think our mentality was right going into that game. But, we came out winners, we had to change a few things, we did that and came around but it’s a lesson for us,” Stoney explained.

“You’re Man Utd, you’ve got a target on your back all the time, you’ve got to turn up prepared and make sure that you might have to be patient against teams and break them down but you can’t concede the goals we did.

"That’s the big difference in terms of that mentality and complacency. Was it a lesson we needed early doors? Yeah. Absolutely. But, it can’t happen again.”